Apparatus for collating articles



Jan. 16, 1968 G. H RAINBOW I APPARATUS FOR COLLATING ARTI CLES 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept.

Inventor GEORGE H. RAzuBoW K v 1 a I Attorney Jan. 16, 1968 G. H.RAINBOW 3,363,394

' APPARATUS FOR COLLATING ARTICLES Filed Sept. 8,. 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2V v Q lfive nlor eese-E H. RAiNB By r, v M

A ttorney Jan. 16, 1968 G. H. RAINBOW APPARATUS FOR COLLATING ARTICLESFiled Sept. 8, 1965 3 Sheets-$heet 5 Inventor G RGE H. RAINBOW By 2 v 4a Altorneys United States Patent 3,363,394 APPARATUS FOR COLLATINGARTICLES George H. Rainbow, Gerrards Cross, England, assignor to TheMetal Box Company Limited, London, England, a British company FiledSept. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 485,804 Claims priority, application GreatBritain, Sept. 8, 1964, 36,768/64 Claims. (Cl. 5361) This inventionrelates to apparatus for collating articles, and in particular toapparatus for collating articles on a supporting base designed to locatethe articles in rows on the supporting base.

Supporting bases of the kind above-mentioned are usually open-toppedtrays and the articles are retained in position in the trays by acovering of transparent synthetic organic thermoplastic material, suchas polyethylene, which is applied and secured to the trays by a processknown as shrink wrapping. Shrink wrapping is a relatively cheap form ofpackaging which is popular because the articles are visible but arehygenically protected until the wrapping is opened. The wrappingmaterial which covers the containers has no rigidity until it is cold,following shrinking thereof onto a tray, and for this reason it ispreferred to position the articles on supporting bases which not onlyposition the articles for the shrink wrapping process but also givestrength to the finished package.

The problem when using trays as referred to above for articles to becontained in a shrink wrapped package is to effect automatic filling ofthe trays by dropping the articles in rows into the trays and it is theobject of the present invention to provide an apparatus capable ofperforming this function when using a supporting base as mentionedabove.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for collatingarticles on a supporting base designed to locate the article in rows,wherein a first pusher member is operable to push rows of articles froma conveyor over a stationary plate and to deliver the articlesrow-by-row into locations provided on a supporting base initiallypositioned beneath said plate on a carriage movable over guides thereforand biassed towards the starting position thereof, said carriage beingmovable away from the starting position by rows of articles delivered bythe pusher member from said plate, and a second pusher member is movablein a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of the firstpusher member to move a loaded supporting base off the carriage and outof alignment with said plate.

The supporting bases to be filled may be housed in a vertical magazineincluding means to urge the supporting bases towards the top of themagazine and on movement of the second pusher member to move a loadedsupporting base ofi? the carriage a container feeding member may bemovable with the second pusher member to move the uppermost supportingbase out of the magazine and on to said carriage for movement therebyinto position beneath said plate. The means for urging the supportingbases towards the top of the magazine may comprise a platform biassedtowards the top of the magazine and guided for movement lengthwise ofthe magazine. The platform may be biassed upwards by a weight connectedwith the platform by a flexible connecting element passed around afreely rotatable roller located at a position near the top of themagazine.

The carriage may be biassed to the starting position thereof by a weightco-operating with a dash-pot to con trol the rate of return of thecarriage to the starting position thereof.

Movements of the first and second pusher members may be initiated byfirst and second switch devices connected therewith and actuatedrespectively by the leading article of a row fed by the conveyor intoposition for delivery by the first pusher member and by the loadedsupporting base reaching the position thereof from which it is moved bythe second pusher member.

The pusher members may be actuated by fluid-pressure operated devices.

The first pusher member may be operable to deliver one row of articlesat a time to a supporting base.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood one embodimentthereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to theaccompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a section on line A-A, FIG. 2, of apparatus according to theinvention,

FIG. 2 is a top plan of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a top plan illustrating the position of parts at the beginningof a cycle of operation of the apparatus,

FIGS. 4 to 6 are diagrammatic sections on line B-B,

FIG. 2 and illustrate the mode of operation of the apparatus, and

FIG. 7 is a top plan of a form of supporting base to be loaded by theapparatus.

Referring to the drawings, the articles to be collated are shown ascans 1. The articles are to be collated on supporting bases 2 which maybe as shown in FIG. 7 and provided with rim elements 2a arranged tolocate the cans 1 in rows. The supporting base shown in FIG. 7 isarranged to receive twelve cans and to locate them in three rows each offour cans. It will, however, be understood that a supporting base may bearranged to receive and locate a greater or a lesser number of cans asdesired.

The cans 1 are moved to the collating position by an endless conveyor 3,FIG. 2, the cans being moved in close succession by the conveyor to aposition at which the leading can engages and operates a first switchdevice 4 connectedin suitable manner, not shown, with an actuatingdevice 5 for a first pusher member 6. As shown in the drawings theactuating device is a fluid-operated device, for example a hydraulic orpneumatic cylinder.

The switch device 4, on engagement thereof by the leading can, operatesthe actuating device 5 which in turn causes operation of the firstpusher member 6 and causes the pusher member to move a row of four cansofi the conveyor 3 and across a stationary plate 7, FIGS. 3 to 5, and todeliver the row of cans in a row into the appropriate locations thereforon a supporting base 2. A wing 6a, FIGS. 2 and 3, on the pusher member 6prevents further feeding of cans by the conveyor 3 until the pushermember 6 is restored to the starting position thereof.

The supporting base 2 is initially positioned beneath the plate 7, beingsupported on a carriage 8 provided with rollers 9, FIGS. 4 to 6, whichpermit movement of the carriage over guides 10 on which the rollers 9run. The carriage 8 supports the supporting base with the top thereof inclose proximity with the underside of the plate 7. The carriage 8 isbiased to the starting position thereof by a weight 11, FIGS. 4 to 6,which co-operates with a dash-pot 12 to control the rate of return ofthe carriage to the starting position thereof. The weight 11 isconnected with the carriage 8 by a flexible element such as a chain orcable 13.

Supporting bases 2 which are to be filled are housed as a stack in avertical magazine 14, FIG. 1, which includes means to urge thesupporting biases towards the top of the magazine. As shown in thedrawings, the means to urge the supporting bases towards the top of themagazine comprises a platform 15 biassed towards the top of the magazineby a weight 16 connected with the platform by a flexible connectingelement such as a chain or cable 17. The platform is guided for movementlengthwise of the magazine by rollers 18 which run in a channel member19. Supporting bases are fed from the top of the magazine one at a timeas described below.

When a supporting base has had the full complement of cans deliveredthereto by the first pusher member 6, it is engaged by a second pushermember 20, FIGS. 1 to 3, which moves the loaded supporting base off thecarriage 8 and into a shrink wrapping machine 21, of known construction,indicated in broken lines in FIGS. 1, Q and 3. The second pusher member20 is movable in a direction at right angles to the direction ofmovement of the first pusher member 6 and, like the first pusher member,is actuated by a fluid-pressure operated device 22, for example ahydraulic or pneumatic cylinder. Operation of the device 22 is initiatedby a second switch device 23, FIGS. 4 to 6, when the carriage 8 reachesthe position thereof, FIG. 6, at which the loaded supporting base is tobe removed therefrom and fed to the shrink wrapping machine 21.

The second pusher member 20 has secured thereto, for movement therewith,a supporting base feeding member 24, FIGS. 1 to 3, which is operable tomove the uppermost supporting base from the top of the magazine 14 andon to the carriage 8 for movement by the carriage into position beneaththe plate 7. The feeding member 24 is provided with a trailing tailpiece 25, which restrains the next succeeding supporting base until thefeeding member 24 has returned to the starting position thereof whensaid next supporting base is moved upwards by the platform 15 inpreparation for feeding by the member 24 on the next forward movement ofthe second pusher member 20.

At the commencement of a collating operation, the carriage 8, with anempty supporting base thereon, is retained in position, FIG. 3, beneaththe plate 7 by a projection 26 which is upstanding from the carriage andis engaged with the forward edge 27 of plate 7. At this time the firstpusher actuating device 5 and the actuating device 22 are fullyretracted, as are the pusher members 6 and 20. The switch 4 is so timedthat it will not operate until the second pusher member 20 and thecarriage 8 are in the positions thereof shown in FIG. 3. As the firstrow of cans is moved across plate 7 by the first pusher member 6 theprojection 26 is engaged by the cans thus moving carriage 8 until therow of cans tilt over the edge 26 of plate 7 and drop as a row on to thesupporting base carried by the carriage, FIG. 4. The row of cans is thenengaged with the edge 26 of plate 7 to constrain the carriage againstmovement thereof towards its starting position. As the second row ofcans is delivered by the first pusher member 6 it engages the row ofcans already delivered to the supporting base and so effects furthermovement of the carriage to a position at which the second row of cansis delivered on to the supporting base, FIG. 4. The third, and, in theembodiment being described, last, row of cans is then similarlydelivered to the supporting base. The row of cans moved by the firstpusher member 6 is supported on both sides, at the rear by the pushermember 6 and at the front by the projection 26 or by the preceding rowof cans, and the pusher member 6 operates with sufiicient power andspeed to force the carriage 8 a short distance greater than the exactdiameter of the cans. The pusher member 6 then retracts rapidly thuspermitting the cans to drop, without tilting, on to their locations onthe supporting base 2. This arrangement is of particular advantage whenthe articles have irregular outlines, or have projections, for exampleas on beaded cans or heavily embossed glassware. When the last row is inposition on the supporting base 2, FIG. 6, the second switch device 23is operated to initiate operation of the second pusher member 20 which,as described above, moves the loaded supporting base off the carriage 8and into the shrink wrapping machine 21, at the same time feeding afurther empty supporting base from the magazine 14 on to the carriage 8.When the second pusher member has returned sufficiently to permitmovement thereof the carriage 8, with the empty supporting base locatedthereon, is returned by the Weight 11, under control of dash-pot 12, tothe starting positon thereof in which the supporting base is locatedunder the plate 7 and the projection 26 is engaged with the edge 27 ofplate 7, and the cycle of operations starts again.

As shown in the drawings, the first pusher member 6 is arranged todeliver the rows of cans one at a time to a supporting base but, ifdesired, the first pusher member 6 may effect full loading of asupporting base during only one forward movement of the pusher member,in which case the conveyor 3 is arranged to feed the cans in threeside-by-side rows for removal by the pusher member 6.

When, as shown in FIG. 7, the supporting base has a discontinuous rim, adropping dog 28, FIG. 1, is provided to ensure that the supporting baseand the cans move together during the final forward movement of thefirst pusher member 6 when this member is arranged to deliver one row ofcans at a time to the container. The dog 28 is raised on the returnmovement of the pusher member 6 to pass over the next empty supportingbase.

To enable the articles to fall freely when the articles being collatedare irregular articles, or are rimmed articles such as cans, a ratchetdevice, not shown, may be provided on the lower side of carriage 8 tohold the carriage at the position to which the first pusher member 6 hasmoved the carriage until the next stroke of the pusher member when theratchet again engages to hold the carriage in the next position thereofto which it is moved by a row of articles. The ratchet releases thecarriage when the supporting base thereon is fully loaded and thecarriage is, at this point, held in position by the trailing edge of thesecond pusher member 20 until the second pusher member is retracted whenthe carriage returns to the position thereof shown in FIG. 3 under theinfluence of the dash-pot 12 and weight 11. It is preferred to use adash-pot and weight control device rather than a spring or otherbiassing means because the inertia of the dashpot ensures that thecarriage moves comparatively slowly to rest against the edge 27 of theplate '7 after it has been forced against the biassing means by thefirst pusher member 6.

It will be understood that articles other than cans may be collated byapparatus as described therein, for example the articles may be jars,packages, tennis balls, or apples.

The supporting bases may be formed from doublecorrugated boardcompressed over a part of the surface thereof to form the rim elements2a, or the supporting bases may be made of any other suitable materialsuch, for example, as thermoplastic material or aluminum foil.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Apparatus for collating articles on a supporting base designed tolocate the articles in rows, comprising a stationary plate, a conveyoroperable to move articles on to the stationary plate for collation onthe supporting base, a carriage initially positioned in part beneathsaid stationary plate, guides over which the carriage is movable to andfrom said initial position thereof, biasing means co-operating with saidcarriage to urge the carriage towards said initial position thereof, afirst pusher member operable to push rows of articles from thestationary plate on to a supporting base positioned on the carriage toreceive the first row of articles and to cause the articles of each rowafter the first to engage the articles of the preceding row positionedon said base and so move the carriage away from the initial positionthereof, and a second pusher member movable in a direction at rightangles to the direction of movement of the first pusher member to move aloaded supporting base off the carriage and out of alignment with thestationary plate.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a vertical magazinearranged to house supporting bases, means operable to urge thesupporting bases towards the top of the magazine, and a supporting basefeeding member movable with said second pusher member and operable Whilethe second pusher member is moving a loaded supporting base off thecarriage to move the uppermost supporting base out of the magazine andon to said carriage for movement thereby into position beneath thestationary plate.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the means for urging thesupporting bases towards the top of the magazine comprises a platformbiased towards the top of the magazine and guided for movementlengthwise of the magazine.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the platform is biasedupwards by a weight connected with the platform by a flexible connectingelement passed around a freely rotatable roller located at a positionnear the top of the magazine.

5. Apparatus for collating articles on a supporting base designed tolocate the articles in rows, comprising a stationary plate, a conveyoroperable to move articles on to the stationary plate for collation onthe supporting base, a carriage initially positioned in part beneathsaid stationary plate, guides over which the carriage is movable to andfrom said initial position thereof, biassing means co-operating withsaid carriage to urge the carriage towards said initial positionthereof, said biassing means including a weight connected to thecarriage and housed in a dashpot to control the rate of return of thecarriage to said initial position thereof, a first pusher memberoperable to push rows of articles from the stationary plate on to asupporting base positioned on the carriage to receive the first row ofarticles and to cause the articles of each row after the first to engagethe articles of the preceding row positioned on said base and so movethe carriage away from the initial position thereof, and a second pushermember movable in a direction at right angles to the direction ofmovement of the first pusher member to move a loaded supporting base offthe carriage and out of alignment with the stationary plate.

6. Apparatus for collating articles on a supporting base designed tolocate the articles in rows, comprising a stationary plate, a conveyoroperable to move articles on to the stationary plate for collation onthe supporting base, a carriage initially positioned in part beneathsaid stationary plate, guides over which the carriage is movable to andfrom said initial position thereof, biassing means co-operating withsaid carriage to urge the carriage towards said initial positionthereof, a fluid-pressure operated first pusher member operable to pushrows of articles from the stationary plate on to a supporting basepositioned on the carriage to receive the first row of articles and tocause the articles of each row after the first to engage the articles ofthe preceding row positioned on said base and so move the carriage awayfrom the initial position thereof, and a fluid-pressure operated secondpusher member movable in a direction at right angles to the direction ofmovement of the first pusher member to move a loaded supporting base offthe carriage and out of alignment with the stationary plate.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, including first and second switchdevices connected with said fluid-pressure operated first and secondpusher members and positioned respectively for actuation by the leadingarticle of a roW delivered by said conveyor on to the stationary plateand by a loaded supporting base reaching the position thereof from whichit is moved by the second pusher member.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, including a vertical magazinearranged to house supporting bases, means operable to urge thesupporting bases towards the top of the magazine, and a supporting basefeeding member movable with said second pusher member and operable whilethe second pusher member is moving a loaded supporting base off thecarriage to move the uppermost sup porting base out of the magazine andon to said carriage for movement thereby into position beneath thestationary plate.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the means for urging thesupporting bases towards the top of the magazine comprises a platformbiased towards the top of the magazine and guided for movementlengthwise of the magazine.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the platform is biasedupwards by a weight connected with the platform by a flexible connectingelement passed around a freely rotatable roller located at a positionnear the top of the magazine.

No references cited.

TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner,

1. APPARATUS FOR COLLATING ARTICLES ON A SUPPORTING BASE DESIGNED TOLOCATE THE ARTICLES IN ROWS, COMPRISING A STATIONARY PLATE, A CONVEYOROPERABLE TO MOVE ARTICLES ON TO THE STATIONARY PLATE FOR COLLATION ONTHE SUPPORTING BASE, A CARRIAGE INITIALLY POSITIONED IN PART BENEATHSAID STATIONARY PLATE, GUIDES OVER WHICH THE CARRIAGE IS MOVABL TO ANDFROM SAID INITIAL POSITION THEREOF, BIASING MEANS CO-OPERATING WITH SAIDCARRIAGE TO URGE THE CARRIAGE TOWARDS SAID INITIAL POSITION THEREOF, AFIRST PUSHER MEMBER OPERABLE TO PUSH ROWS OF ARTICLES FROM THESTATIONARY PLATE ON TO A SUPPORTING BASE POSITIONED ON THE CARRIAGE TORECEIVE THE FIRST ROW OF ARTICLES AND TO CAUSE THE ARTICLES OF EACH ROWAFTER THE FIRST TO ENGAGE THE ARTICLES OF THE PRECEDING ROW POSITIONEDON SAID BASE AND SO MOVE THE CARRIAGE AWAY FROM THE INITIAL POSITIONTHEREOF, AND A SECOND PUSHER MEMBER MOVABLE IN A DIRECTION AT RIGHTANGLES TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE FIRST PUSHER MEMBER TO MOVE ALOADED SUPPORTING BASE OFF THE CARRIAGE AND OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH THESTATIONARY PLATE.